A&M sitting pretty with strong stable of backup QBs

By Brent Zwerneman |
January 31, 2013

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws passes on the first day of the team's NCAA college fall football practice in College Station, Texas, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Bryan College Station Eagle, Stuart Villanueva)

Photo By Smiley N. Pool/Staff

Matt Joeckel (16) likely has the inside track to be Texas A&M's backup quarterback next season after Jameill Showers announced he will transfer.

COLLEGE STATION - Three years ago, Jameill Showers enrolled early at Texas A&M, and the quarterback from Killeen Shoemaker did everything right as he competed for the starting job of leading the Aggies' offense. He just happened to be fighting against an top 10 selection in the NFL draft and a Heisman Trophy winner, in that order.

A week ago, Showers notified the coaching staff of his intent to transfer, and in doing so treated Texas A&M to one more favor on his way up (or down) Texas 6 - by announcing his plan nearly two weeks before Wednesday's national signing day.

While Kenny Hill probably would have stuck with his verbal commitment, the highly touted Southlake Carroll quarterback, after apparently mulling his decision, reaffirmed his pledge to the Aggies after the Showers news. Which means come August, Johnny Manziel will have one more strong arm backing him up entering A&M's most anticipated season since at least 1995, when the Aggies started the year ranked third (and wound up 15th).

Showers, a junior who has yet to announce his next college stop, likely would have played plenty at many other schools during the past two seasons but instead served as Ryan Tannehill's backup in 2011 and then lost a spirited battle with Manziel two weeks before the start of last season. A month ago, Tannehill, the No. 8 overall selection in last year's NFL draft, wrapped up a solid first year with the Miami Dolphins after throwing for a franchise-rookie-record 3,294 yards.

About the same time, Manziel was tying the bow on Texas A&M's 11-2 finish in its inaugural Southeastern Conference season. But when Manziel grabbed his knee while writhing on the Kyle Field grass against Missouri on Nov. 24, it emphasized the importance of the backup quarterback (although he soon returned with a knee brace).

Even without Showers, who should be immediately eligible to play somewhere else after his graduation from A&M this summer, the Aggies should be fine at quarterback, should a backup (or two) be pressed into action this season. Last summer, every time a reporter asked A&M coach Kevin Sumlin about the battle between Showers and Manziel, Sumlin also would mention Matt Joeckel as being right in the fight.

The 6-4, 234-pound Joeckel, who is built like a prototypical NFL passer, has been impressive in nearly every scrimmage appearance, and would be an asset in the Aggies' quick passing game. He completed only five of 11 passes, however, in extremely limited playing time, subbing for Showers, who had subbed for Manziel, in five blowout victories in 2012.

And then there is Klein Forest's Matt Davis, an athletic and charismatic leader who redshirted last season. Davis is more in the mold of Manziel - a threat to both run and pass. Manziel, Davis and Hill, who all are in the 6-0 to 6-2 range and weigh about 200 to 210 pounds, offer similar skill sets, although Manziel clearly is in a league of his own after setting the SEC single-season total yards record with 5,116.

A&M also owns a longtime verbal pledge from St. Pius quarterback Kohl Stewart, but he is a top baseball prospect and projected to be s a high first-round selection in the June amateur draft. Whether Stewart shows on campus, the Aggies should be solid at quarterback for seasons to come, having Manziel for at least one more year and Joeckel, Davis and Hill waiting in the wings.